Preaching patience earlier this spring, Diamondbacks pitcher Patrick Corbin said it was just a "matter of time" before the club's top prospect, 21-year-old pitching phenom Archie Bradley, won a spot in the big-league club's starting rotation.

It probably just didn't occur to Corbin that he might be the reason Bradley's "matter of time" could get a whole lot shorter.

Slated to face the Dodgers in Arizona's Opening Day game in Australia, Corbin instead is facing the prospect of season-ending Tommy John surgery to repair a partially torn ulner collateral ligament in his money-making left elbow.

Corbin is seeking a second opinion from famed orthopedic surgeon Dr. James Andrews. That opinion could determine whether the Diamondbacks choose, like Corbin, to pick between a short-term fix and biting the bullet.

If Corbin can come back with rehabilitation and without surgery, perhaps Randall Delgado or Josh Collmenter makes sense at the bottom of the rotation.

That would allow Bradley to start the season in the minor leagues, which would delay the start of his service time and therefore push ahead the time when he is eligible for arbitration.

It also would allow him to put a little more polish on a change-up that will complement a 96-mph fastball and major-league-ready curve, making Bradley just that much more effective when he arrives.

Throughout spring training, Diamondbacks General Manager Kevin Towers and manager Kirk Gibson have insisted that performance, not business, would determine whether Bradley landed a spot in the club's Opening Day rotation.

March 9, 2014 - Arizona Diamondbacks starting pitcher Archie Bradley laughs after a teammate throws sunflower seeds at him during an interview at a spring training baseball game against the San Diego Padres. Associated Press

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We're about to find out. And if the club's recent activity is a fair indicator, their words ring true.

• The Diamondbacks are working with a payroll believed to be the richest in club history and north of $100 million for the first time since 2002, when they were defending the Valley's only major-sports championship.

• The team aggressively went after Japanese free agent pitcher Masahiro Tanaka, who ultimately signed with the Yankees for seven years and $155 million. The Diamondbacks' bid reportedly was not far from the deal Tanaka took.

• The Diamondbacks reportedly made runs at aces Jeff Samardzija of the Cubs and Tampa Bay's David Price in an effort, like the bid for Tanaka, to land a top-of-the-rotation starter.

• When that failed, Towers signed veteran pitcher Bronson Arroyo to improve the staff's depth and bolster the bottom of the rotation.

• And in December, the club traded Tyler Skaggs, another top pitching prospect, to obtain outfielder Mark Trumbo from the Angels in an effort to provide protection to slugger Paul Goldschmidt, then signed Trumbo to a $4.8 million, one-year deal to avoid arbitration.

Those are the moves of a team that wants to win right away.

And if Bradley is ready to help the Diamondbacks do that, then he belongs in the rotation right away.

Bradley is scheduled to start an exhibition game against the Dodgers on Friday, and his performance, along with Corbin's decision, likely will determine what the Diamondbacks do next.

"It's an opportunity for somebody else to start a very good major-league career and be a good team player and pick their teammates up," Gibson said Sunday before the club departed for Sydney.

It's pretty easy to figure out who "somebody else" might be. Bradley is said to have electric stuff, although Gibson called his struggles in his most recent spring start "humble pie."

Bradley posted a 1.97 earned run average, struck out 119 and walked 59 in 1231/3 innings at Double-A Mobile last season. Is he ready?

"Well, we're trying to figure that out," Gibson said of Bradley's role. "He's going to pitch the exhibition game in Sydney. We've liked what he's done so far, all through the minor leagues and spring training. He struggled a little bit in his last start but had a great bullpen the other day. So we'll be interested to see how he throws the ball down there.

"He's certainly one of the guys in the mix to maybe step into the rotation. It's not guaranteed, but a possibility."

The only other alternative beyond promoting Bradley or sticking with the current staff is making a deal, perhaps with one of the club's shortstops. But as Towers pointed out, it's pretty tough wheeling and dealing from Australia (even for him). And the Diamondbacks aren't exactly dealing from a position of strength now.

"If (Corbin) has to miss time, we've got a deep pitching staff and we've got a determined team," Goldschmidt said. "It won't be fun, whatever it is. If it turns out to be (Tommy John surgery), you don't have any other choice; you go out there and play, and there's no excuses. You've got to go win."

Despite big spending by the Dodgers and Giants, the Diamondbacks expect to do that this season.

Bradley gives them their best chance.

Reach Young at 602-444-8271 or bob.young@arizonarepublic.com. Follow him on Twitter @BobYoungTHI.